The Gift and the Disturbance She Caused
by kaisanders
Summary: Eric receives a thank you gift from victor Madden, and Sookie is not pleased.


Weekly One Shot Challenge #20

Challenge 20: **To forgive is an act of compassion. It's not done because people deserve it. It's done because they need it.**

_**These characters belong to Charlain Harris. My thanks to her for allowing me to write about them.**_

**The Gift and the Disturbance She Caused****.**

He knew it was a bad idea. Victor Madden had sent him a delicious treat as a reward for the work he had done for the king. Actually, the gift was for covering Victor's ass when he screwed up. "Fucking Victor," thought Eric. "This whole thing was his fault."

Eric and Pam had been in his office when the gift arrived. She was delectable. A dark beauty who could not have been more than 18. She had long dark hair surrounding her olive skin and black eyes. Her thick pouty perfectly shaped lips set off shining white teeth as she smiled. There was a thin veil that wrapped her body just enough to cover her, but not enough to disguise the hint of perfectly rounded breasts and thin firm thighs. Eric's fangs, as well as Pam's, extended fully the moment they saw her.

"I am a gift from Victor" she said as she began to remove the veil. Pam and Eric could only watch as she seductively spun around. In doing so she exposed her lovely breasts, her nipples dark and ripe like wine, hard and erect like small pegs. Eric could feel himself growing hard as he wondered how her blood would taste. As if she could read his mind, she moved towards him, ran her thumb over his extended fang and scratched herself open so a bead of blood fell on his lips. He licked it, and realized she was of royal vintage. He came out from behind his desk to stand in front of her.

"Eric, what are you doing?" asked Pam her voice coarse.

"Looking at my gift from Victor," rasped Eric. The girl continued to unwind her veil from her body until it dropped to the floor and she was completely naked in front of the Sheriff of Area Five. His eyes were glazed over as if he was under some type of spell and he stared at her loveliness.

Her wonderful breasts gave way to her flat stomach with a pierced belly button containing a lovely ruby. Beneath the jewel was a perfect V, her hair trimmed, her thighs hiding the honey he could smell flowing from her. She turned and he saw her flawless ass, hard and curved. As she returned to face him, she spread her legs and he saw her cunt glisten with drops of sweet dew. He knew she was untouched and unspoiled.

"Pam, leave us," he growled.

"Eric, this is not a good idea" said Pam. "Sookie………"

"Sookie is not your concern and neither is what I do with my gift!" He rumbled, but a voice inside of his head told him she was right. While he may be tempted to partake of this seductress, he had made a pledge to Sookie. Did he love her enough to keep that commitment?

"Eric…" pleaded Pam

"Go," he bellowed.

Eric thought in retrospect that Pam should have dragged the gift out of there by the hair. She should have tried harder to stop him. All of this was Pam's fault.

Eric leaned back against his desk and crossed his legs. He wanted to suck her, to make her bleed with his fangs and with his thrusts. His desire was strong and his cock was throbbing. He thought perhaps he could just touch her breast and be satisfied, but he knew that once he did that he would take all of her. He hesitated and thought of Sookie, which annoyed him. He was after all Sheriff of Area Five. He could have anyone he desired. True, he desired his lover, but he desired the gift as well. And still he paused. He was conflicted. His commitment to Sookie stood in the way of him enjoying himself.

"Just a lick of your blood," he decided.

But as he reached for her wrist, his office door opened and a bright smiling Sookie entered the room.

"Eric, I can't wait to tell…" She stopped dead in the middle of her sentence.

As soon as Eric saw her he came to his senses. He could hardly look at her, but out of the corner of his eye he saw that she was white as a ghost. He suddenly was filled with guilt and shame. What had he been thinking? He had Sookie, for whom he had fought, whom he had wooed and to whom he had finally given himself, and she had given herself to him. She was his bonded, his love. How could he have disrespected her so much?

He looked at the beauty and sternly told his gift to return to Victor immediately. Sookie approached him, and slapped him with anger and pain glaring in her eyes. He turned from her in his disgrace. She turned to leave his office, but as she did, she said "We are finished," and stormed out.

Eric's guilt manifested as fury. He called for Pam.

"Detain her" he barked.

Detain her yourself!" scowled Pam as she turned on her heel to leave.

"Pam, please." whispered Eric.

"Fine," she sighed. She had never known Eric to beg, and she saw the suffering in his eyes. She went to find Sookie.

Eric thought back, why did she have to walk in just then? She wasn't supposed to be here. She can't just come waltzing in whenever she wants, Eric mused. If only she had called him first, none of this would have happened. This was all Sookie's fault.

Now, he was angry at Sookie, but then in his mind he saw the look on her face. It was the look of betrayal from one who has been betrayed too many times. Suddenly, he had an "aha" moment as he realized this was not Victors fault, or Pam's, or his lovers. He himself had gotten himself into this mess. He felt for the bond, but she had blocked it. This was something he had no control over and he couldn't stand it. He was frightened for the first time in many years. Has he lost her? Lost her because of his stupidity and irresponsible lust. Eric girded himself and thought he must take responsibility for this. He must admit to Sookie that this trouble was his doing, and no one else's. He must humble himself to her, and he did not like that thought at all, but he knew it must be done. Only for her would he put away his arrogance and pride, and seek her forgiveness. At that decision, he felt different. He felt relief. He felt more love for Sookie, and if possible less loathing of himself. He suddenly remembered what it felt like to be a human man with courage and strength of heart.

Pam brought Sookie into Eric's office. He could tell she was not happy to be there.

"Eric" she said through tears, "Do you want that woman?"

"No" he said. " I was tempted by her, and my overconfidence and pride got the better of me. I made a mistake in thinking her blood would thrill me. You are the only one I want. This was my error Sookie. I was a fool."

He kneeled before Sookie, and put his arms around her thighs, resting his head against her stomach. He humbled himself for the first time in many years. He looked up at her, and she saw a blood drop fall from his eye.

"I was a fool to even be tempted. You are my heart, and even in the presence of seduction, I couldn't forget that. I thought for a moment I would only taste her but as you entered I realized that no one else would ever taste as sweet as you in my mouth. I would never let anyone else own my body the way you do. No one else would ever hold my heart in their hands as you do now and forever. I was a ridiculous vampire who was flattered by the attention she gave me. You are my world Sookie, and I can't believe I risked losing you over that gift from Victor."

"Please Sookie, I beg you, forgive me." He continued, "Do not send me away from you. Grant me this act of compassion. Not because I deserve it, but because I need it. Forgive me my lover."

Sookie listened to his words and heard his sincerity. She felt his pain and shame through the bond. Her heart was not made of stone. She struggled for a moment. She didn't want him to think he could take advantage of her. She wanted him to know how angry and hurt she was. But to what end? To make him hurt as much as she did? To raise his anger, to fight with him some more? As she thought about this, she realized she was a prisoner of her own emotions. And the only way to set the prisoner free was to forgive. So Sookie also humbled herself also.

She kneeled down with Eric, on both knees to put them on the same level. She took his hands and put them on her heart.

"Eric, my grandmother used to say there is no love without forgiveness. There is no forgiveness without love. This is so difficult for me, but I do love you. Therefore, I forgive you."

As she said the words, she felt her whole body become lighter; a smile grew on her face. She let love push away at the anger, the hurt and the pride, and she looked at Eric through fresh eyes. And she loved who she saw.

Eric finally had the courage to look at her. This human woman could make him tearful, could make him lose his nerve, and could make him feel like the man he truly was. He looked at her through his dishonour and realized that she had given him a part of her that she had never given anyone before. He saw that she had struggled to release the anger and pain to allow her love to flow, and this made him adore her more. He realized that if she could do that out of love, then he must forgive himself for putting her through this experience. He vowed to himself never to hurt her again, and as she touched him, he himself was able to forgive his transgression.

"Thank you my Sookie, my love." He said as he laid her down on the floor and undressed them both. "I love you too."

Then, he relaxed into her arms and into her body, and allowed himself the freedom to love this woman who had genuinely seen him, faults and all, and still cherished him.


End file.
